Hispanic marketing: completing the circle

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David-Charles-Logan3They represent 17% of the US population. They’re younger. They have over a trillion in spending power. And they’re heavier users of social media and mobile technology.


Who are they?  They’re Hispanic consumers.  And if you’re relying on a Total Marketing approach for your brand, you’re not paying enough attention to the US Hispanic Consumer.

Consider these inconvenient truths about a Total Marketing approach and The Hispanic Market.

The #1 rated NYC radio station among ALL Adults 18-49 crown recently went to a Spanish language station. Univision is now the #4 rated TV network among ALL Adults 18-34 – and it broadcasts in Spanish.

Clearly, Hispanics are self-selecting their own programming – in their native language – so you can’t just expect them to think you’re talking to them when you’re talking to them in English.

Yet, if financial realities prevent you from creating your own culturally-relevant, native language campaigns, you can still augment your Total Marketing program with nimble mediums like radio, mobile and social in Spanish.

And the good news? The good news is that is where the Hispanic Audience is spending most of their time these days.

Latinos in almost every demo over-index in radio consumption. It’s more culturally accepted and more personalized. And as members of immigrant communities, Latinos like to hear familiar voices.

Consider also how radio and social work together.  In social media, they talk about what they heard on the radio.  On the radio, they talk about what’s on social media. In fact, a recent Clear Channel survey confirms that more than 60% of respondents post on social media what they heard on-air personalities talk about on the air.

So tell your buyers and planners to include social within the radio buy. Yes, social needs a strategy and requires on-going maintenance, but you can get all this up and running and have it subsidized by your working media budgets.

And, working with your media partners means you’ll likely get engaging content – like concerts and celebs – instead of shopworn ideas like coupons on your Facebook page.

Many marketers think they’ve done enough by creating Spanish language websites. But click deeper into the experience, into comments, and chat areas, and it’s back to English.

It’s hard enough to expect the Hispanic consumer to love your brand on traditional media where English might be tolerated.  But when it comes time to actually have a social media conversation – where they spend most of their time – that conversation should be in Spanish.

But this isn’t going to happen by itself. It has to come from the top. Media managers need to encourage their brand managers to see the possibility of using cross-platform campaigns, especially native language radio AND social, when trying to reach Hispanics.

It’s time to complete the circle; time for non-Hispanic marketers to catch up with their Hispanic customers.  And make a social commitment – in Spanish.

–David Charles Logan Jr, Director, HRN Hispanic Media
[email protected]